Athletics | International

Trinidad officials confirm Baptiste's doping absence

Trinidad and Tobago athletics officials confirmed on Monday that Kelly-Ann Baptiste, who won a world 100 metres bronze medal in 2011, and fellow sprinter Semoy Hackett missed the Moscow World Championships because of doping violations.

The two athletes left Moscow before competition started on Saturday and Trinidad's National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA), who initially declined to give a reason, issued a statement confirming the wide-reported news.

"The absence of both athletes is related to doping matters of varying degrees and complexity," the statement said.

"In the case of Ms. Baptiste this association was notified on August 8 by the IAAF and the results management process is currently under way and, as a result, any further comment at this stage would be premature and inappropriate.

"In the case of Ms. Hackett, the IAAF has appealed the recent decision of the NAAA's Disciplinary Panel to exonerate Ms. Hackett and has also re-suspended her pending the appeal which is to be heard before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

"The NAAA takes this opportunity to reinforce its commitment to drug-free sport and is confident that the legal process regarding both athletes will take its due course."

Baptiste's 10.83 in June makes her the third-fastest woman in the world this year and she would have been a strong medal prospect in Monday's 100m final.

She is from the same training group as former world champion Tyson Gay of the United States, who has returned two positive tests for an undisclosed banned substance and also missed the world championships.